WESTERN SPRINTS DEBUT SATURDAY AT MADERA

USAC Western Sprint Car “Rookie of the Year” Porter Smith of Aztec, N.M. is anxious to get back to Madera (Calif.) Speedway Saturday. He scored his second career feature win there last October!

Smith finished third in last year’s standings and looks to get a jump-start on the field when the 2009 series debuts at the 1/3-mile paved oval.

A 50-lap feature is on tap and the program also features the USAC Western Midget Car Series in its 2009 pavement opener.

Tony Hunt holds the 1-lap track qualifying mark of 12.735 seconds. The three-time series champion leads the all-time series victory list with 25 wins, seven of which have come at Madera. Tony also owns a pair of USAC Midget wins at the track, so he’d be aiming for win #10 Saturday.

Saturday’s race is the first of four for the Western Sprints at Madera. The series returns there August 15, September 19 and October 24.